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Richmond Avenue School in NJ at Estell Manor Park

WELCOME

Park Preservation

Youth Programs

Our mission is to preserve parks and create park stewards for tomorrow. Since 1983, we have completed more than 100 park projects benefiting 49 national park units and other public lands in 33 states. Furthermore, to foster future park enthusiasts and stewards, we launched in 2009 our Buddy Bison school program and in 2011 Kids to Parks Day, our nationwide day of play. Watch this video to learn more about our work and the impact of your support.

Mapping our progress

2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Since 1983, NPT has supported and assisted in acquiring inholdings and in developing public and private partnerships to promote the acquisition and preservation of parks, wildlife refuges, historic landmarks, public lands, and water ways. We have completed more than 100 park projects benefiting 49 national park units and other public lands in 33 states. To learn more about about our work and how you can get involved, contact Dick Ring, NPT Park Projects Director.

The Buddy Bison school program was created in 2009 to engage diverse children from Title I schools with their local, state and national parks to teach environmental education and the numerous benefits of outdoor recreation. If parks are to survive, the face of those parks must change and under-served communities must have access to these local cultural and environmental resources. More than 80% of the students in the Buddy Bison school program qualify for free or reduced-priced lunch, predominantly in inner city communities. This program has been used in 60 schools across the country in grades pre-K through 8th in public, public charter and private schools across the country (20 states and Washington D.C.).

This experiential learning program enhances existing school curricula throughout the year with emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) as well as history, language arts, reading, geography, the arts, and outdoor recreation. Students also learn about the careers of professionals who support our parks-- and the importance of stewarding our public lands. And in addition to bringing kids to parks, we bring parks to kids by arranging schools visits from our many conservation partners.

Over the past thirty years, National Park Trust has preserved thousands of acres of parkland with significant historic and environmental impacts. NPT founding Board member John Rollins recounts an example of such an acquisition: Big Cypress National Preserve in southern Florida.

Big Cypress National Preserve, located between Miami and Naples, is home to a vast number of species, the most notable being the endangered Florida panther. Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park are the only remaining homes for the Florida panther on the east coast. As cities in southern Florida grew, the natural habitat of this endangered species was reduced to the point that today they exist only in the parks and preserves. NPT, with the support of a $50,000 grant from the Norcross Wildlife Foundation, purchased 100 acres of privately held land within Big Cypress National Preserve with the goal of establishing an area dedicated to the recovery of this endangered species.

After working with the state of Florida and the National Park Service, NPT acquired the land and turned it over to Big Cypress National Preserve in 1990. At that time there were only 30-50 adult Florida panthers found at Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. As of 2012, the Florida panther population is up to 240 adult cats. This population growth is a testament to the importance of a project like this.

According to Rollins, “This project was initiated based on the vision of NPT’s founder, Paul Pritchard, who believed passionately that one of the important goals of park preservation is the creation of sustainable habitat for wildlife threatened with extinction.”

Buddy Bison

Buddy Bison, our lovable woolly mascot encourages kids to explore outdoors, the parks are yours! Visit the Buddy Bison section of our site to learn more about our school program, and how you can get your own Buddy Bison and share your park adventures and photos. Did you know that proceeds from Buddy Bison sales help us get under-served kids to their local parks?